Victoria entered a state of emergency as widespread bushfires surged beyond control and devastated large forest regions along with numerous homes.
Extreme heat exceeding 40°C combined with powerful winds created explosive fire conditions reminiscent of the Black Summer crisis of late 2019 and early 2020.
One major blaze consumed nearly 1500000 stremmata near Longwood, roughly 150 km from Melbourne, in an area known for dense virgin forest.
Premier Jacinta Allan invoked a state of disaster, granting firefighters authority to issue immediate evacuation orders.
Allan emphasized that safeguarding lives remains the top priority and urged residents to leave instantly when instructed.
Three missing individuals, including a child, were located safely after fears they had been caught in one of the most active fire zones.
A total of 130 structures have been destroyed statewide, according to emergency management official Tim Wiebusch.
Ten major fires continued to burn on Saturday, with authorities warning that several could remain active for days or even weeks.
Fires have primarily affected sparsely populated regions where hundreds of firefighters from across Australia have been deployed.
Images captured earlier this week showed an orange glowing sky at night as flames advanced across bushland.
Another fire generated immense heat that triggered a localized storm, according to fire crews.
Australia has recorded a rise of 1.51°C in average temperature since 1910, a shift researchers link to increasing frequency of extreme weather events on land and at sea.
